Stephen King says writers should write every day, even if it's just a little. Consistency is key.

CEO and former U.S. Army captain Gary McCullough gives people "half as much time as they say they need."

Harper's Bazaar exec Carol Smith catches up on e-mail on Sundays.

Starbucks VP Stephen Gillett points to multiplayer games like World of Warcraft to learn effective problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller doesn't read contracts. "If I can't make the deal in a phone call ... then it's not a worthwhile deal."

But entrepreneur and executive Jana Eggers is the one who, in my opinion, hit the ball out of the park. "I recommend anything that requires focus and discipline ... they are good skills to reinforce."

And therein lies the rub.

You see, the secret to personal productivity is, well, that it's personal. It's different for everyone. Branson works out while Huffington goes to bed. You can see how it might be a bit tricky to reconcile those two things, right?

The good news is that I've known hundreds of successful executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, and they all do have some common attributes when it comes to personal productivity. Every single one of them recognizes the importance of self-discipline and focus, as does Eggers. Each one may have unique tricks and tools to accomplish whatever needs getting done, as do I, but we all know what's at the core.

So, why doesn't everyone just say that and be done with it? Well, I guess that's because it's so ingrained in us that it's a given. We don't think to mention it because it's sort of obvious. But, it's not necessarily obvious or ingrained in all of you, so I thought it might be a good idea to mention it.

I know, I know. This might be deflating for those of you looking for a quick fix - like a diet or pill you can take - that'll just magically help you get things done. Forget it; there's no such thing, except maybe caffeine. Like it or not, the secret to personal productivity really is discipline and focus.

Now, if you ask me where that discipline comes from, I think that's personal too, but for me, it came from my father - a real disciplinarian with a wicked strong work ethic. I also find that it helps to have a passion for what you do and to have something to prove, either to yourself or to someone else.